Exploring the Different Types of Online Betting

When you were a child, making a bet was relatively simple. “I bet you five dollars you can’t jump that stream,” you might have said, and when your friend landed in the cold water, he handed you a soggy five-dollar bill. You then walked away with the cash and the bragging rights.

While you may not be a child anymore, you can still win money by predicting the outcome of everything from which numbers will turn up in a drawing to who will win a major sporting event. Thanks to the development of online gambling, it’s no longer necessary to take a trip to Las Vegas or Atlantic City to do so. From the comfort of your home — or the palm of your hand using a mobile device — you can place bets on nearly anything.

Because there are so many online gambling sites and so many types of possible bets, understanding them can help you choose the right site and type of gambling you want to engage in. While sports betting and casino games are the most popular types of online betting, there are several other types.

Online Casinos

Virtually any game you can play in a casino, you can play in an online version. Online casinos have transformed popular games like roulette, baccarat and blackjack as well as slot machine games into online versions. The odds of playing the games online are the same as those of playing in-house, as are the payouts.

Online casinos operate either as Web-based games, where players visit a site to play or via a downloadable game that requires a login to access the casino. However, most casinos offer bonus programs for signing up and playing. Some offer comp programs similar to those at traditional casinos, with cash and other perks for spending a certain amount of money.

Sports Betting

Ever since athletes began competing to determine who is best, others have made predictions on the outcome. Online sports betting takes the tradition of wagering on various aspects of sporting events to the next level, allowing users to bet on multiple events in real time from home. With generous bonus programs and other promotions to encourage high wagers, online sportsbooks offer bettors convenience and the chance to make bets on both events and specific aspects of the game they may not otherwise have been able to.

Bingo

While the church bingo hall may never go away, for those who can’t get enough of their favorite number and letter game, online bingo sites give you the chance to play for big payouts. Online bingo sites often have larger payouts and more valuable prizes than traditional bingo halls, and they offer the opportunity to customize games and types of play. Bingo sites also host tournaments that attract players from all over the world, making for a more exciting, higher-stakes game.

Poker

One of the earliest forms of online gambling was online poker, and it continues to be a top choice among online players. The primary difference between online poker and casino poker is that players play against each other, rather than the house. The house makes money by charging fees to enter tournaments or ring games and by taking a percentage of the winnings. Poker is an ideal place for inexperienced online gamblers to start, as there are multiple free sites where you can learn the basics of online play and build your skills without draining your bank account.

Lotteries

Lotteries are perhaps the most regulated forms of online gambling — and one of the easiest. They work like standard lotteries, with participants buying tickets and winning money when their numbers are selected. However, most lotteries are government-operated and heavily restricted in terms of who can play.

Placing bets online, instead of traveling to a casino, offers plenty of advantages. Instead of spending money on transportation and hotels, you can funnel that money into larger wagers, increasing your chance of a big payoff. Even if you aren’t looking for a major payday, trying an online casino or sportsbook is an enjoyable way to dip your toes into the gambling waters — a low-stakes equivalent to the bets you once made with your friends.